My protector
by Ellebel
Summary: When Scully is injured on a case, Mulder insists he take care of her. Trouble, or should I say, romance, ensues. Sweet little story about our favourite pair.
1. Chapter 1

Hi dear readers! I'm Ellebel and this is my third story here. I will update every Sunday and this story is as good as done so let's do this! I hope you enjoy my story and please leave a review.

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"No!", Mulder shouted, as the gun fired and the bullet inevitably pierced the chest of his partner, Dana Scully. Her lips formed a shocked 'O', as she fell to the ground. Right before losing consciousness, she could hear another shot fired, and a distant thud as her shooter's body hit the pavement.

Fox Mulder sat immobile on the hospital chair. His back was tense and his fists clenched. He was sat on the edge of the chair, as close to his partner as he could get, without actually crawling into bed with her. She was still unconscious, her body small and pale against the hospital sheets. His eyes closed and his mind played back the events that lead to this.

 _A week ago, Monday morning._

"Morning Scully, you're late today?", Mulder acknowledged as his red-headed partner entered their basement office. Dana Scully smiled her typical mysterious Mona Lisa smile and walked over to her desk. "Sorry Mulder, I have this new next door neighbour and he desperately wanted to socialize", she said. Mulder's eyebrows shot up and his attention was immediately peaked at the mention of another man in Scully's life. "Oh", he said, aware that he had been quiet for an unusually long time. "Soooo, what's he like?" he asked, subtly. Scully sighed. "You know, nice, I guess", she answered non-committedly. Mulder nodded. He sensed she didn't really want to talk about it, so he dropped the subject, storing the topic in his mind for future exploring. "Want to hear about our new case?" he asked. Scully smiled and walked over, her face switching to business mode. "Tell me", she answered.

Mulder fired up the slideshow as he told her all about the new case Skinner had given them. Three men were brutally murdered, all single and in their forties, all good, hard-working men. However, the murder-part was speculation, as it wasn't really clear how these men had died. Cause of death was no mystery, each man had multiple injuries, a massive blow to the head being the most obvious one. The odd thing was, they were all found dead in a public place, surrounded by witnesses, who apparently had seen nothing. It was all happening under their noses in Washington, which made it a priority for the FBI.

Scully carefully listened to her partner's explanation, ready to find a flaw in his theories, which usually featured aliens, monsters or some form of telepathy. She was therefore very surprised when Mulder ended his presentation without mentioning any of these. Instead, he looked at her and asked: "So, what do you think, Scully?".

Scully raised one eyebrow at Mulder, the surprise still written on her face. "What, no theories, Mulder? An invisible perpetrator, maybe?". Mulder grinned, "You've been hanging out with me for too long Scully!". Scully smiled, 'God knows that was true', she thought. "Besides," Mulder continued, "you forgot rule number 1!". Scully gave him a questioning look. "Trust no one, Scully! Come on, let's have another conversation with the witnesses". Scully nodded her approval and the pair left the office.

Mulder and Scully entered her apartment building, both tired and frustrated. They had talked to every single witness of all the crime scenes, and had come up with nothing. Of course, they had read the statements in the police report, but Mulder was convinced they had missed something and insisted on tracking down every single person present at the time of the deaths. Mulder still felt very suspicious of the witnesses' account, but Scully couldn't understand how all of these people could be lying, especially as it involved different victims and different crime scenes.

They were still arguing about it when they entered Scully's hallway.

"Well, maybe it was hypnosis?" Mulder said. Scully sighed, she knew Mulder would come up with a supernatural explanation eventually. "Hypnosis?", she asked skeptically. "Yeah, the killer hypnotized the witnesses in some way, willing them to forget what happened", he explained. "Mulder," Scully began, when the door next to hers opened and her new neighbor came out.

He looked surprised to see her with another man, and looked Mulder up and down before speaking. "Oh, hi Dana", he said, "are you okay?". His eyes shifted to Mulder again. "Hi Matt", Scully greeted, "I'm fine, sorry for the noise, this is my partner, Fox Mulder", she introduced him. "Nice to meet you", Mulder said. "Yeah, you too", Matt replied. He paused on Mulder again, then said a friendly goodnight and closed his door.

"So…, that's the new neighbor?" Mulder asked, the case temporarily blown out of his mind. "Yes, that's Matt", Scully said. "Look Mulder, I'm really tired, can we continue this tomorrow? Come over and we'll look at the reports again together, I'm sure we can come up with an explanation that excludes hypnosis". Mulder laughed and raised his hands in a gesture of mock surrender. "Fine, I give up. I'll see you tomorrow Scully", he smiled. "Good night Mulder", Scully said, her eyes smiling back in gratitude. "Night ma'am", he answered and turned back around to the elevator.

Matt Duncan moved his ear from the door, satisfied to know that the dark tall man hadn't spent the night next door. He turned around and headed to bed.

The next morning, Mulder showed up at Scully's door bright and early, armed with coffee and bagels. He had just knocked on her door, when the door next to her apartment opened and Matt's head stuck out. "Good morning", Mulder said cheerily. "Oh," Matt said, "it's you again". Mulder paused, not expecting the rude answer but then smoothly replied: "Yes, it's me, again." He grinned, "I'm here quite a lot", he admitted. Matt half-exited his apartment and nodded. "So, you're her partner? What does that mean, exactly?" Mulder wondered what was taking Scully so long. "Um, we work together, at the FBI. Didn't Scully, I mean, Dana tell you?". He wondered what they had talked about that morning she was late for work. "Yeah she told me she's an FBI agent", Matt acknowledged. "So you just work together then?" the man continued. Mulder was getting pretty annoyed with their conversation, but he was sure that knocking on the door and begging Scully to open up would be considered to be very rude. "Well, we are friends", he answered shortly. Matt nodded and was about to ask another question when Scully finally opened the door, a towel wrapped around her hair and her shirt half-buttoned. "Hey Mulder", she greeted him, "sorry I was still in the shower." "That's okay Scully, I was just chatting to your neighbour here", Mulder said. He threw a polite nod at Matt and entered Scully's apartment, thankful for the escape.

Scully closed the door behind him, and only then did he properly look at her, and noticed that she wasn't completely dressed yet. He tore his eyes away from her chest and cleared his throat. Scully seemed totally unaware of his distraction and rubbed the towel over her hair while she directed him to her couch. "So um, this Matt guy?" he started, trying to focus on something else than the lacy edge of her bra that was still visible, "he's kind of…" he trailed off, not sure what to make of the man next door. "Nosy?" Scully supplied. Mulder smiled at that, clearly she didn't like the guy either. "Yeah, very in your face I guess.." Mulder agreed. "Does he bother you?", he asked, now worried. "No," Scully sighed, "he's fine, he just always seems to be there when I come home or when I leave… It's like living with my parents", she joked. "Well… maybe he has a crush on you?" Mulder asked, suddenly feeling worried again, and a bit nervous. Scully chuckled. "Let's focus on the case, shall we?" she told him.

A few hours later, the FBI's most unwanted had a couple of suspects listed, and plans to stakeout their houses the coming week. Mulder had discovered that the victims had some ex-girlfriends in common, which seemed pretty suspicious in a big city like Washington.

The following week went by pretty slowly, their stakeouts unfruitful and frustrating. There had been no new victims, which was good of course, but it didn't help them solve their case any quicker. At night, Scully kept running into her neighbor, who annoyed her more and more. Matt seemed unable to take no for an answer, and kept up his attempts at small-talk and what she could only assume was flirting. She would have to agree with Mulder that he did have a crush on her. When another uneventful week had passed, Scully was quite ready to give up on the case, or rule it as an inexplicable X-File, when Mulder came to her apartment late at night. He banged on her door, probably alarming the whole building, and pulled her out of the door as soon as she had opened it, all the while rattling on about a movie the men had been to. She was just able to pull her door shut, and tried to follow Mulder's explanation while being led out of her building. In the corner of her eye, she could see Matt's door opening, but didn't give it another thought.

When they arrived at the cinema, Mulder finally calmed down enough to explain that the victims had seen a certain horror movie the night before they died. Mulder was convinced this was a lead, and had booked them some tickets for tonight's show. Seeing as she herself had failed to come up with any explanation, she decided to go along with Mulder's theory. They were standing in line, when Matt suddenly appeared. Scully frowned, and her mouth dropped open as she saw that he was holding a gun. "Mulder", she said quietly, and turned fully towards her neighbor. He seemed to be looking around, searching for someone, and when his eyes found her, he aimed….


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi all! First off, I'd like to thank everyone for following and reviewing! I do hope to get some more substantial reviews this time, because most of them said 'please update' lol! Anyway, here is chapter 2, I hope you enjoy!**

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Mulder shook his head and rubbed his hands over his eyes, trying to force those horrible images from his mind. A small hitch in Scully's breathing made him look up, and when he saw that her eyes were open, he jumped up from the chair.

"Hey sleepy-head," he said softly, "how are you feeling?". Scully swallowed and looked around. "What happened?", she asked, confused about her surroundings. "Well, it seems your neighbour, Matt, was a jealous psycho", Mulder explained matter-of-factly. Scully raised her eyebrows. "What?".

"They've searched his apartment, he had a wall full of pictures and drawings of you". Scully looked away, a sick feeling burrowing up in her throat.

"You warned me he had a crush", she said bravely, trying to make light of the situation. Mulder smiled. He came closer and brushed her hair out of her face gently. "Yeah…." He said. Just then, the doctor came in. Mulder winked at her and left the room to give her some privacy.

The doctor filled Scully in on her condition. The bullet had entered her shoulder, so she had been very lucky. She could go home, but she might need someone to help her out the first couple of days, as her right arm would be quite immobile. Scully nodded and thanked the doctor.

Half an hour later, Scully exited her room, dressed in her jeans and her bloody sweater, her right arm wrapped in a sling. She found Mulder waiting for her, head down. He jumped when she approached and stood up. "Ready?", he asked. Scully nodded.

"So um, Scully…" Mulder started. "I was thinking that you should stay with me for a couple of days."

Scully smiled. "That's really sweet Mulder, but I can take care of myself". "Even with one arm?" he asked, sarcastically. He sighed. "Look Scully, you're injured, we've got the week off-work, will you just let me help you out?"

Scully stopped, the smile fading from her lips. "We've got the week off?", she asked. Mulder nodded, "Skinner's orders", he said.

Scully started walking again. "Well okay but you don't have to help me Mulder, really", she said again. They had reached their car. Mulder forcefully opened the door, threw his jacket on the back seat and slammed the door shut again. Scully jumped at his sudden violent behaviour.

"I KNOW you can take care of yourself, Scully", he said, "I know you're fine and I know you don't need me, for anything," he continued, venom creeping into his voice, "but for once, will you just let me take care of you?" he ended passionately. Scully was dumbfounded. She wasn't sure where this reaction was coming from. Mulder could see the hesitation in her eyes and added softly: "I nearly lost you, Scully". Tenderness won out and Scully stepped close to her partner, trying to hug him with one arm. He surprised her when he grabbed hold of her petite body, wrapping her securely in his arms. She could feel his warmth and his breath against her neck made her shiver. He shifted slightly, and the whispered "Please?" in her ear would have made her say yes to anything right then. She stepped back and nodded, slightly embarrassed at her reaction.

"Can we pass by my apartment to get some clothes?", she asked timidly, a blush still visible on her cheeks. "Of course", Mulder said, and opened the door for her.

They had picked up some of Scully's clothes and toiletries, and headed back to Mulder's apartment. He had carried her bag, and she had let him, which Mulder considered a good sign. As it was nearly dinner time, Mulder suggested that she take a shower while he prepared them some food.

Scully stood under the hot spray of water, enjoying the feeling on her strained muscles. Her shoulder felt a bit sore, but a few painkillers would fix that. She washed her hair and her body, avoiding the use of her right arm. When she got out, she had to admit that Mulder had been right. Doing things with one arm was going to be difficult. She could dry herself off just fine, but how was she going to get into clothes? The nurse had helped her get dressed at the hospital, and taking her shirt off had been relatively easy.

Wrapped in the towel, she suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to bring any pajama's to Mulder's apartment. Tightening the towel around her body, she stepped out of the bathroom in the hopes of stealing something of Mulder's to wear.

She was drawn to the delicious smell in the kitchen, where her partner stood stirring what seemed like spaghetti sauce.

"Mulder?", she started quietly, Mulder looked up from his cooking, and noticed his partner standing in his kitchen, wearing nothing but the small towel he had given her. He did a double-take as his hand betrayed him and did some sort of spastic gestured that made the spoon drop to the flour. The sound startled him and tore his gaze away from Scully's scantily-clad body.

"I was just wondering if you have a shirt I could sleep in?", she continued, mystified by Mulder's sudden clumsy behavior. He straightened, trying to act naturally and hoping that he wasn't blushing like a schoolboy. "Yeah, of course Scully, hold on", he said. He went over to his wardrobe and chose a long navy blue Yale-shirt. "This okay?" he asked. "Sure, thanks", Scully smiled. She stayed still, the T-shirt in her hand. "Something else?", Mulder asked. Scully hesitated. This was going to be embarrassing. "Well," she said, "I can't really put it on with one arm…"

Mulder swallowed. He wasn't sure what she was asking of him. "Do you want me to help you get dressed?", he asked. "Yeah", Scully said quietly.

Sensing her discomfort, Mulder approached her. "It's okay Scully, of course I'll help." He took the shirt out of her hands and bunched it up. He was about to pull it over her head, when he realized that the towel would be in the way. "Um, Scully? You're gonna have to lose the towel". Scully looked at him, panic shining in her eyes. "Turn around", Mulder suggested, "I won't look, I promise". Scully swallowed and nodded. She turned her back to her partner and slowly undid the towel. She lowered her head as it fell to the ground, feeling the redness in her cheeks. Mulder pulled the shirt over her head, gently pulling her immobilized arm through the sleeve. "All done", he said quietly.

He noticed she was still feeling uncomfortable, so he stepped back and said: "Why don't you take a seat on the couch, Scully? Dinner is nearly done."

Scully nodded, grabbed her sling and walked over to the couch, noticing the candles Mulder had put on the coffee table. She suddenly felt nervous, butterflies were fluttering in her belly. The whole setting was almost romantic, the smell of a homemade dinner in the kitchen, the dim lights, the candles… She dismissed the thoughts immediately, the idea of Mulder trying to seduce her with a romantic setting was ridiculous.

"Why don't you pick something to watch?" she heard him yell from the kitchen. Scully turned on the TV and flipped through the channels, settling on a romantic comedy that was playing. She leaned back into the cushions, her legs folded underneath her, when a plate of steaming spaghetti appeared. Mulder stood proudly in front of her, and she accepted the plate with a grateful smile. "What are we watching?", he asked her. "It's called 'The Proposal', it's a comedy", she said.

The pair settled in the couch, steadily working away the pasta. Scully was pleasantly surprised at Mulder's cooking skills. About an hour into the movie, she realized that she had forgotten to take another painkiller after the shower, and could feel her arm starting to hurt. Her current position on the couch was getting uncomfortable, and she winced when trying to sit up. Mulder noticed her discomfort immediately, and looked over worriedly. "You okay?", he asked. "Yeah, I just think I need another painkiller", she admitted. Mulder got up and got her the medicine she needed along with a glass of water.

When the movie was over, Scully had snuggled into the couch, and was now sleeping soundly. Mulder decided that she couldn't sleep like that, and picked her up to carry her to his bedroom. Luckily, he had changed the sheets, so he tucked his partner into his freshly made bed. She looked very peaceful asleep, and Mulder noticed how tiny she was. She hardly took up any space in his double bed. Of course, he knew Scully wasn't very tall, but usually she more than made up for her height. She was a strong, capable and stubborn woman. 'And beautiful', he couldn't help but think, when he pulled the covers over her legs. He sighed, he shouldn't be thinking like this. Scully was his partner, and he was lucky to even call her his friend. The last thing he wanted to do was risk that friendship, no matter how he really felt about her.

 **That's it for chapter 2! Please leave a review and you'll get a new chapter next Sunday!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi all! I was supposed to post yesterday, but I forgot! Thanks again for the reviews, follows and favourites, I really appreciate it!**

 **This chapter might be M-rated, I'm not sure, but it's definitely a bit smutty... You've been warned!**

 **Here is chapter 3, I hope you enjoy and please leave a comment!**

The next day, Mulder woke up early from his short night's sleep on the couch. After putting Scully to bed, he had spent more than a few hours trying to watch something on TV, to get his mind off the woman he had just tucked in. Still, when he had finally fallen asleep, his dreams were full of her. He sat up and rubbed his hands over his tired face. Looking at the clock, he saw it was 8am. He quickly went to check up on his partner, and when he saw that she was still asleep, he decided to make her breakfast. He made some coffee, cut up some fruit, and took some mini pastries from the fridge to heat them up. About half an hour later, he went into his bedroom again, armed with a tray of goodies for his partner.

Scully was still dead to the world. She was half wrapped around the covers, one milky white leg sticking out. Mulder smiled. She looked adorable while asleep, her hair all messed up and her face relaxed. He tucked a piece of hair behind her ear, and carefully rubbed her good shoulder. "Scully?" he tried quietly. She stirred. "Wakey wakey, rise and shine!", he said. Scully turned slightly, her legs letting go of her grip on the covers.

Slowly, she opened her eyes. Mulder could see the confusion in her face, as she looked around the room.

"I brought you to my bedroom last night after you fell asleep", he admitted. "How are you feeling?", he added.

Scully nodded and sat up slightly. "Thanks", she said, "I'm okay I think…".

Mulder nodded and grabbed the tray he had prepared and put it on her lap.

Scully looked at him. "What's that?", she asked. "This, my dear Scully, is the most important meal of the day!" he smiled. Scully shook her head, "You didn't have to do that Mulder…" She was secretly impressed with all the trouble he was going through. Only one other guy had ever made her breakfast in bed. Her thoughts went back to the candles on the table last night, and again she had to convince herself that Mulder was probably not trying to seduce her, he was just being nice.

The day went by pretty slowly. Mulder left her alone for a few hours, to do some groceries. Scully used that time to take a bath. Her arm was a little better and she could dress herself now, although her shoulder and back felt very stiff. She read some magazines and they even played a game of Monopoly. After dinner, they settled in to watch another movie. Scully was having some trouble to find a position that eased her sore back, something Mulder soon picked up on.

"You okay, Scully?", he asked. "Yeah, my back and shoulder just feel sore".

"Oh, do you want me to give you a backrub?" Mulder asked without thinking.

Scully stopped shifting. "What?" she asked. "You know, a backrub, to ease your stiff muscles a bit…", Mulder explained.

He could see she was feeling uncomfortable, but he couldn't figure out why.

Scully, in the meantime, was having a heavy discussion with herself. Actually, she loved backrubs. Probably a little too much even. All her past boyfriends knew that a backrub was the perfect way to turn her on. Of course, Mulder didn't know that. And her back did ache… But even imagining those large skilled hands on her body made the butterflies swarm in her belly again.

Aware that she had been quiet for a while, she cleared her throat and said

nervously: "That's okay, Mulder, you don't have to do that…."

"Oh come on Scully, it's just a backrub, I'm not going to take advantage of you", Mulder uttered defensively. Scully looked up suddenly, shocked at Mulder's words. "I know, …".

"Well then?" he asked.

Scully sighed, she really couldn't think of any sensible reason why not. She nodded slightly and said, "Okay, fine."

Mulder smiled and jumped up. "Great! Go into the bedroom and take those clothes off Scully, I'll get the lotion!"

Scully was frozen for a moment, her ears ringing at Mulder's request to take her clothes off. She moved slowly into the bedroom, her body feeling very heavy. She was suddenly glad that she had taken the time to shave in the tub that morning. She took off her shirt and laid down on the bed.

Mulder came in, carrying a towel and lotion. "What are you doing Scully, you want lotion all over my sheets?" he asked. "Oh sorry", she said, feeling stupid already. She stood up as Mulder laid down the towel and signaled her to lay down again. "Um, Scully, unless you want your bra and pants destroyed, I suggest you take those off as well…"

Scully sighed. She knew she was being silly but she felt really nervous. Mulder had seen her naked a couple of times, but always in an emergency. Just laying down in front of him dressed in a tiny pair of white panties was something else entirely. Apparently, it wasn't a big deal to Mulder, however, as he was being very flippant and impatient about the whole thing.

Scully slid off her pants and laid back down before taking off her bra. She remained quiet so as not to betray her nerves. She felt Mulder settle down on top of her and steeled herself.

Mulder was doubting his decisions when he settled down on top of his partner. She was as good as naked in his bed. Scully, naked in his bed. Of course, it wasn't under the same circumstances he had always dreamed, and quite frankly she looked very uncomfortable. Still, it was going to be hard to hide his feelings about her when she was undressed like that. He slid his hands over her back slowly, telling her to relax. He rubbed her shoulders slowly, getting the muscles warmed up before using the lotion.

Scully tensed when she felt his hands on her back, but when he massaged her shoulders the tension disappeared. She really needed a backrub for her achy muscles. After a while, she was able to relax completely, and just gave in to the massage. When Mulder started using the lotion and building up the pressure, she couldn't help the noises that exited her. She moaned every time he hit a sore muscle, but she was enjoying it too much to feel self-conscious.

Mulder on the other hand was feeling very self-conscious. Every sound his partner made shot tingles straight to his groin. By now, he was sitting on top of her with a full hard-on and he was sure she could feel it. However, he couldn't stop. She was clearly enjoying it, and Mulder desperately wanted to make her feel good. He slid down her body to massage the muscles in her lower back, and she gasped when his fingers encountered the swell of her ass. She didn't protest though, so Mulder continued his ministrations and slowly continued lower and lower until he was fully rubbing her butt cheeks.

The white material of her panties was getting stained, but there was no way in hell he would ask Scully to take off her underwear.

He got off her, in order to get better access to her legs, as he continued his journey down her body. He started at her feet and slowly moved up. When he neared her inner thighs, she spread her legs for him, which nearly made him crazy. He carefully rubbed her muscles there, determinedly avoiding any other areas and staying well away from the lacy edges of her underwear. He froze when he noticed a wet spot in the center of her panties. 'Oh dear god, he was turning her on', he thought. The sight of her wetness shot electricity to his spine, and he felt his erection grow even heavier. He breathed through his nostrils, trying to calm himself. He desperately wanted to rip those panties off and taste her, but he knew he couldn't do that. Still, apparently she liked him touching her… He wondered how far he could go in this. An idea popped up in his head, as he slid back up her body and asked her to turn around. She obeyed blindly, but kept her hands over her breasts. He rubbed her shoulders again, and slid his hands down her arms. Slowly, he lifted her wrists and exposed her breasts. She struggled a bit, but his whispered 'trust me' took away her doubts.

His breath hitched when he looked at her breasts, and he bit back the growl that came up in his throat. She was gorgeous. He rubbed down her arms, her belly and her sides, carefully avoiding those beautiful breasts. When he got to her hips, she bucked up, and Mulder smiled. He used his thumbs to draw small circles on her hipbones, dipping lower each time. Scully was now definitely squirming, and Mulder could see the wet spot growing in her panties. Without thinking, he settled on top of her again, wanting to shift his attention to her upper body. However, when he sat down, his erection poked her belly, and Scully's eyes flew open in shock.

 **That was that! There's only a small part left, so chapter 4 will be the last one! How do you think Scully will react? Thanks for reading and until next week!**

 **E.**


	4. Chapter 4

**Hi everyone, this is the fourth and last chapter and there's definitely a smut alert! Read on, because there's also some fluff at the end! Hope you like it, please leave a review!**

 **Thanks for reading!**

X

Mulder immediately realized his mistake and got off quickly. "I'm sorry Scully", he said quietly. He could kick himself for being so stupid. He didn't even dare to look at her now. To his own shock, Scully smiled. "Mulder, it's okay". His mind reeled. "It's not okay Scully, I told you I wouldn't take advantage of you and now look at me! It's disgusting!" he said. "I'm so sorry". "Mulder please, it's okay, don't worry about it", she consoled him. "I'm a doctor, remember? I know how the body works." She said.

"What do you mean?" Mulder asked, confused. "I mean," she said, "that I understand that your… reaction… has nothing to do with me". She spoke calmly and confidently, which threw Mulder off even more. "What do you mean it has nothing to do with you?" he asked, frustration creeping into his voice. "I was touching you, and I got a hard-on Scully, how can that not have anything to do with you?"

Scully reeled back a bit, surprised at the anger in his voice. "I just mean," she said quietly, "that it's not necessarily about me, you would have had that reaction with any other woman, it's just physical", she explained.

Mulder let out an airy laugh, unable to believe the explanation coming from his partner. She really thought that he got aroused from anyone? Typical Scully, he thought, that she didn't think she was responsible for making him feel that way.

Determined to make her believe him and make her realize what she did to him, he put his hands on her hips again, making her gasp.

"You really think so, Scully? You really think I react like this to anyone?", he asked, all the while rubbing his thumbs on her sensitive skin. She shuddered.

Before she could formulate any kind of answer, Mulder switched to her thighs and rubbed the sensitive skin there. Instinctively, she opened her legs wider. Mulder groaned. "Did you ever think, Scully, that it's just you? That your noises just make me crazy? That I've been wanting to touch you like this ever since you walked into my office all those years ago?" He moved his fingers upward, definitely not avoiding the lace on her underwear, and Scully's hips bucked again. "Or do you react like this to anyone as well, hmmm? Do you get wet like this for anyone Scully?" he asked boldly, as he slipped a finger down her panties and felt the wetness there. Scully shuddered and moaned loudly.

Suddenly he got back to his senses. He was practically raping his partner. He shot up, his hands suddenly useless at his side. Scully was still immobile on the bed, her breath coming in short gasps, a dark blush staining her cheeks and her legs spread wide open for him. Mulder's ears were ringing and his heart felt as though it was going to pound right out of his chest. He was frozen to the ground, his eyes locked on his partner. Slowly, he saw her come back to reality, as she closed her legs and sat up quietly. He could see tears forming in her eyes and suddenly he felt like the biggest asshole. His erection went down immediately and he stared at his feet. Panic rose up in his belly as he realized what the consequences of his actions might be. He looked back up again and opened his mouth to apologize, but Scully beat him to it. "You're right", she said.

Mulder clamped his mouth back shut. This was unexpected… "Sorry?" he said, sure that he must have misunderstood.

"You're right", she repeated, "I don't react like that to anyone."

Mulder swallowed. He wasn't sure where this was going, but at least she hadn't shot him yet, which she would be well within her rights to do after what just happened.

"And, I guess, you don't either?" she continued. Mulder was confused again. Scully rolled her eyes, "you don't react like that to anyone either?", she clarified. "Oh," Mulder said, "um, no." Suddenly, he felt like a teenager again. He was shy, nervous, and he didn't know what to say. It didn't help that Scully was right in front of him, barely dressed and admitting that he turned her on.

"So," she said, "we're attracted to each other". Mulder couldn't believe this. She was analyzing the situation? "I guess that's normal, when people spend as much time together as we do... And we don't really date either…" she continued. "Scully", Mulder said, exasperation finding its way into his voice. "I'm not just attracted to you", he admitted. 'Hell, might as well go for it' he thought. He sighed. "I'm in love with you".

Scully took a sharp breath in and tears pooled in her eyes again. "No, you're not", she barely whispered. She finally seemed to notice her state of undress and crossed her arms to cover her breasts. "What?" Mulder asked, incredulous.

"Mulder, I am so not your type! You fall for tall, brunette, busty, gorgeous women who are either too smart or too stupid for you! You're not in love with me, I'm just… there", she finished softly. Mulder shook his head. He was finally telling the love of his life how he felt about her, and she didn't even believe him! He sat down on the bed next to her and sighed. "Scully," he started. His partner was still staring at the sheets, the tears unwilling to fall. He shifted towards her and lifted her chin so she was looking at him. "I may have dated some bimbos in the past, but that doesn't mean that I didn't fall for you", he told her quietly. Her face didn't betray any reaction, but one tear finally slid down her face and Mulder wiped it away lovingly.

"You fascinate me, Scully, you have fascinated me ever since you walked into that office and challenged me. I think I needed that. Phoebe, Diana, they all agreed with me too much. And at one time in my life I thought that was what I needed. But I know differently now. I need you, Scully", he continued passionately. "I need someone who stands up to me, who can keep my sorry ass in check." She smiled at that, and Mulder felt hope rise up in his chest. "I'm crazy about you Scully, and apparently I've become really great in hiding these feelings because now you don't even believe me…", he laughed a little at that.

Scully sighed and looked up at him. Finally, she spoke again: "Mulder, I know you need me to keep you in check, but that's why you need me as a partner, not as a …", she paused. "Lover?", Mulder supplied. She blushed but nodded. "I mean, with a little effort you could have any girl you wanted, why would you want me?", she asked. Mulder saw the insecurity in her eyes and couldn't believe what he was seeing. He had always thought of his partner as a confident woman.

"I do need you as my partner, but it goes beyond that Scully, you're everything to me", he admitted. "Do you think I'd go to the Arctic to save Skinner? If I lost you, I don't know what I'd do..."

Scully heard the desperation in his voice and finally looked her partner in the eye. The knot in her belly was slowly transforming into butterflies at the look in her partner's eyes. He was looking at her so intensely that she felt the breath knocked out of her for a moment. For years she had dreamed about him looking at her like that and now that it was happening, she couldn't believe it. 'Time to fess up, Starbuck', she thought to herself. "I don't know what I'd do without you either, Mulder. I've been dreaming about this moment for a while actually", she blushed, "but I never thought it would happen. I love you", she finished quietly. Mulder smiled a heartfelt smile and murmured "Good", before finally leaning in and kissing her waiting lips.

X

 **The end!**

 **Thanks for reading!**


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